Angel
: Track : Polydor | bsides = : "Night Bird Flying" : "Freedom" | charts = None | rating = }} "Angel" (also known as "Sweet Angel") is a song by Jimi Hendrix, originally released on his 1971 posthumous album The Cry of Love. It was written by Hendrix and recorded at Electric Lady Studios on July 23rd 1970 with drummer Mitch Mitchell and bassist Billy Cox – The Cry of Love. "Angel" was released as a posthumous single in the United Kingdom and Germany in March 1971, backed with "Night Bird Flying" and "Freedom" respectively. The song also featured as the B-side to the "Freedom" single, released in the United States and others on March 8th 1971. History It can be assumed that Hendrix wrote the music for "Angel" as early as 1967, as it first appeared in the form of a demo for "Little Wing" recorded at Olympic Sound Studios on October 14. The song became "Angel" not long after this, when the first recording under the name "Sweet Angel" took place just one month later. Both said recordings appear on the 1997 compilation South Saturn Delta, under their respective titles. The lyrics for "Angel" were written early in 1968, being completed on January 14. They were somewhat different from those used on the final version, though similar to the "Sweet Angel" recording of 1967. The title written by Hendrix for the lyrics was "My Angel Catherina (Return of Little Wing)", suggesting that the metaphorical female subject of "Little Wing" is the same as that of "Angel". The next version of "Angel" was recorded by Hendrix alone, on guitar and vocals, in a hotel room in early (possibly February) 1968. This recording — which is often incorrectly labelled as 'not' bieng acoustic — was featured on many bootlegs and a few official recordings, including Acoustic Jams, Live & Unreleased and Jimi By Himself: The Home Recordings. The lyrics for this 'clean' version were more similar to the original ones written in 1968 than those used on the final version. After apparently leaving the song for over two years, Hendrix, Mitch Mitchell and Billy Cox (The Cry of Love) recorded the final version of "Angel" on July 23, 1970. A few days after the session, Hendrix recited the song as a piece of poetry to friend Freddie Mae Gautier during a conversation about his mother Lucille. In an interview for Electric Gypsy, Mae described "Angel" as "very deep, it was what was in him." "Angel" was mixed for Hendrix's First Rays of the New Rising Sun project over August 20 and 21, 1970, which included the overdubbing of a second guitar part. When Hendrix passed away, Mae took it upon herself to read the poem — as well as Hendrix's liner notes to the Buddy Miles Express album Expressway to Your Skull — at the musician's funeral on October 1, 1970. "Angel" was first featured as the eighth song on the first posthumous studio release The Cry of Love. 26 years later it was included on First Rays of the New Rising Sun, argued by many to be the most accurate approximation of Jimi's intended final project. As well as the aforementioned First Rays attempts, "Angel" also appeared on a number of popular compilation albums released between Hendrix's death and the present day, including Voodoo Child: The Jimi Hendrix Collection, The Singles Album and The Ultimate Experience. Analysis Meaning "Angel" was inspired by a dream Hendrix had about his mother Lucille. A primary source of inspiration for Hendrix's songs, dreams often featured his mother, or a similar mother figure, and a similar dream he had two years before her death in 1958 essentially predicted her demise. In a similar light to "Drifting", "Night Bird Flying" and "In From the Storm", "Angel" is proof of how important to Hendrix a mother figure was to save him from isolation and loneliness. Style The song is a mellow blues composition which features classically elaborative chord work from Hendrix and purposely restrained drumming from the usually firey Mitchell. The guitars are clean and compliment the droning style of singing well, creating the poetic ballad that is "Angel". Lyrics Angel came down from heaven yesterday, She stayed with me just long enough to rescue me. And she told me a story yesterday, About the sweet love between the moon and the deep blue sea. And then she spread her wings high over me, She said she's gonna come back tomorrow. And I said "Fly on my sweet angel, Fly on through the sky. Fly on my sweet angel, Tomorrow I'm gonna be by your side." Sure enough, this morning came unto me, Silver wings silhouette against the child's sunrise. And my angel, she said unto me, "Today is the day for you to rise. Take my hand, you're gonna be my man, you're gonna rise." And then she took me high over yonder, lord. And I said "Fly on my sweet angel, Fly on through the sky. Fly on my sweet angel, Forever I will be by your side." 'Clean' version Angel come down from heaven yesterday, She stayed with me just long enough for afternoon tea. And she tell me a story yesterday, About the love between the moon and the deep blue sea. And when it was time for her to go she spread her wings high over me, And she said "I shall return tomorrow". And I said "Fly on my sweet angel, Fly on through the sky. Fly on my sweet angel, Tomorrow I will feel you by my side." And sure enough, this morning comes to me, Well silver-wing silhouette against a glow of the child's sunrise. And as the bluebirds and the sparrows envy me, She says "I love you little boy, and today you shall fly." She kissed me once, and the feeling so good she made me cry, And now, we'll fly together. And I said "Fly on my sweet angel, Fly on through the sky. Fly on my sweet angel, Together we shall always be alive." Appearances Studio albums *1971: The Cry of Love Compilation albums *1983: The Singles Album *1990: Cornerstones: 1967-1970 *1993: The Ultimate Experience *1995: Voodoo Soup *1997: First Rays of the New Rising Sun *1997: South Saturn Delta **As "Little Wing"; early instrumental version **As "Sweet Angel (Angel)"; early version *1997: Experience Hendrix: The Best of Jimi Hendrix EPs *1995: Jimi By Himself: The Home Recordings **Early solo version (wrongly labelled as acoustic) Track listings All songs were written by Jimi Hendrix. ;United Kingdom #"Angel" – 4:25 #"Night Bird Flying" – 3:50 ;Germany #"Angel" – 4:25 #"Freedom" – 3:24 Credits *Jimi Hendrix – guitars, vocals, speech *Mitch Mitchell – drums *Billy Cox – bass ---- *Producer: Jimi Hendrix *Engineer: Eddie Kramer Release details Gallery of artwork Image:AngelGer71.jpg| German cover Cover versions 1991 Richie Havens Now References Links *Angel (Jimi Hendrix song) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia *Angel by Jimi Hendrix - 911Tabs, tabs search engine *Angel Acoustic by Jimi Hendrix - 911Tabs, tabs search engine Navigation Category:Songs Category:1971 songs Category:Singles Category:1971 singles Category:B-sides Category:1971 B-sides